KLRN strives to provide valuable educational content to every family in our viewing area, from great drama, world-class music, in-depth news, fascinating "how-to" programs and, best of all — non-violent educational programs for your children.
During these uncertain times, KLRN is adapting and creating educational resources in an easy-to-follow format. We aim to provide educational content and resources that support every family in our community.
We have added a new 4 PM time slot that aims at providing educational content for older school age students. You will find resources tied to each of these programs aired daily with lessons from our PBS LearningMedia site. With this weekly blog we hope that getting a sneak peak of what is airing the following week will help you as you plan lessons. We are also including Lesson plan ideas for you to use!!
We hope that this will help you as you plan your lessons for your students to Learn at Home.
All the best,
KLRN’s Education Team
Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed The World
Monday, May 11 at 4 PM
Learn how robots were conceptualized in ancient Rome and see how their use has evolved over the centuries, from calculators to the Roomba. Then, take a sneak peek at what future robots will be able to do.
Grades 3-12
Creating a robot capable of safely navigating its environment without human intervention has been a goal of engineers ever since they first conceived of robots nearly 50 years ago. Despite rapid advancements in technology, however, engineers did not succeed in the task of designing autonomous robots until recently. This video segment adapted from NOVA follows two teams as they push their engineering design skills to the limit to develop systems that allow cars to drive themselves in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge.
Grade 6-12
Rise of the Robots | The Ethics of Robotics
What social problems may robotic advances bring? In addition, there are ethical concerns related to the development of autonomous robots. For example, should a robot be able to decide who lives and who dies in an emergency situation? This resource is part of the NOVA Collection.
Native America: Nature to Nations
Tuesday, May 12 at 4 PM
Explore the rise of great American nations. Investigate lost cities in Mexico, a temple in Peru, a potlatch ceremony in the Pacific Northwest and a tapestry of shell beads in upstate New York whose story inspired our own democracy.
Grade 3-12
Little Deer and Mother Earth | Native American Culture
In this video Marilou Awiakta, of Cherokee/Appalachian heritage, tells a traditional Cherokee story in which humans are killing too many of their animal relatives, threatening the delicate balance of nature. Little Deer leads the animals in taking action, teaching the lesson that people should take “only what you need with respect and gratitude.”
NOVA: Meteor Strike
Wednesday, May 13 at 4 PM
A blinding streak of light screaming across the Russian sky, followed by a shuddering blast strong enough to damage buildings and send more than 1000 people to the hospital. On the morning of February 15th, a 7000 ton asteroid crashed into the Earth's atmosphere, exploded and fell to earth across a wide swath near the Ural mountains.
To understand how lucky we were this time, we explore even greater explosions in the past, from Tunguska to the asteroid that extinguished the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. "Russian Meteor Strike" puts it all together and asks: Is our solar system a deadly celestial shooting gallery - with Earth in the cross-hairs? What are the chances that another, even more massive asteroid is heading straight for us? Are we just years, months or days away from a total global reboot of civilization, or worse?
Grade K-6
Asteroids & Comets: Science Trek
Asteroids are small, rocky objects left over from the formation of our solar system. Comets are leftovers too, made of dust, rock and ice. These small worlds can tell us what the early solar system was like. On this Science Trek, host Joan Cartan-Hansen and her guests, Brian Jackson and Camille Eddy of Boise State University, will answer students’ questions about asteroids and comets.
Grade 6-12
Embark on a journey back in time and across the Solar System, following the paths of asteroids and comets that have collided with Earth—and those that roam far from home. These ancient objects travel billions of years before reaching Earth, and their impact can be so powerful that just one collision can change the course of life on our planet.
History Detectives 912
Thursday, May 14 at 4 PM
A one-of-a-kind photograph poses a jarring question: Is the African American wearing a Confederate uniform slave or free? And, did Hollywood treat the Native Americans listed in this payment ledger fairly? Then, an ornate stock certificate unlocks secrets to the earliest days of Harlem.
Grade 4-12
History Detectives goes in search of a Native American legend. More than a hundred and twenty five years after his death, the name Crazy Horse still echoes in the black hills of South Dakota. In his life, the Lakota warrior and spiritual man vowed to protect these sacred hunting grounds from encroaching settlers and gold miners.
Despite his fame, Crazy Horse refused to be photographed, shunning technology. For years rumors of Crazy Horse photographs have tantalized collectors. More than a hundred and twenty five years after the warrior’s death, History Detectives discovers if a framed image is in fact the only photographic image of this legend. Lesson support materials include a guide to identifying photographs by the era and type: Daguerreotype: 1839-1860 Ambrotype: 1854-1865; Tintype: 1856-1920
Little Women on Masterpiece Part 2
Friday, May 15 at 4 PM
The March family fears the worst when Mr. March falls ill. As circumstances change for Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, the family must come together to face their most difficult challenge yet.
Grade 6-10
Primary Source Set: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
This collection uses primary sources to explore Louisa May Alcott's novel, Little Women. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.
Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed The World: The Car
Monday, May 18 at 4 PM
Go for a ride through the 9,000-year history of the car, from its roots in dogsleds to Henry Ford's affordable and assembly line-built Model T, and meet the scientists working on the next generation of self-driving automobiles.
Grades 1-4
Use wind power! The town of Bottawa loves using wind as power! Can you create a car that uses the air to move? Use the engineering design steps listed in this activity to create your own wind-powered car!
Grades 3-8
Make 4-wheeled, air-powered cars that jet across the floor. Experiment with the design process and thrust in this activity from Design Squad Nation.
Grades 6-12
Carbon Fiber Car of the Future
In this video segment adapted from NOVA, hear physicist and energy expert Amory Lovins explain how to make more efficient cars by making them lighter and more aerodynamic. Explore how the use of carbon fiber can reduce weight without reducing size or durability, and learn about some manufacturing challenges associated with using carbon fiber materials.
Native America: Cities of the Sky
Tuesday, May 19 at 4 PM
Discover the cosmological secrets behind America's ancient cities. Scientists explore some of the world's largest pyramids and 3D-scan a lost city of monumental mounds on the Mississippi River; native elders reveal ancient powers of the sky.
Grades 6-12
The Sun Ceremonies of Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan, located just outside Mexico City, is the ultimate celestial city, though the names of its builders are no longer known. The Aztecs discovered the city as ruins, and built it into an empire. At Teotihuacan's height, between the first and fifth centuries, 125,000 people lived in the city, which was larger than the walled city of Rome. The Sun Pyramid, at Teotihuacan's center, is one of the largest structures of the ancient world — bigger than Giza!
Featured archaeologists describe the human activity and sun ceremonies conducted by the Aztecs, who created their calendar around the different positions of the sun at different times of the year. The structure of the cities and their relationship with Aztec religious beliefs are based on this cosmic calendar.
Wild Weather
Wednesday, May 20 at 4 PM
Watch an innovative documentary that illustrates how weather works by performing brave, ambitious (even unlikely) experiments that show how nature transforms simple ingredients like wind, water and temperature into something spectacular and powerful.
Grades K-2
Observe various severe weather phenomena in this image gallery from WGBH. Weather is the combination of factors—temperature, wind, snow or rain, and sunlight and clouds—that happen in a specific place at a specific time. Sometimes the combination of factors describes different types of threatening weather conditions that can be severe and dangerous, such as a powerful blizzard or windstorm. Students can use the gallery images to observe various severe weather conditions and compare factors across conditions.
Grades 5-8
Forests reduce flooding and rainfall runoff. Trees affect the weather. Weather affects trees. Natural disasters – tornadoes, hurricanes and fire – can be good for forests.
Grades 6-12
These writing prompts are tools for educators and students to use in the classroom to encourage creative writing. The topics covered in these clips are a variety of science related information bits that challenge a student to interpret what they see.
History Detectives
Thursday, May 21 at 4 PM
In the 10th season premiere episode, Elyse Luray and Wes Cowan investigate whether they have found rock's Holy Grail, the long-lost electric Fender Stratocaster Bob Dylan plugged in at the '65 Newport Folk Festival, changing rock 'n' roll forever. Tukufu Zuberi tracks down some autographs allegedly signed for two brothers in Miami Beach during the Beatles' legendary 1964 "British Invasion" tour of the United States. Finally, Gwendolyn Wright investigates a $5 thrift store find and unearths a little-known artistic side of musical iconoclast Frank Zappa.
Grades K-5
Vibrations are the basis for all sound. Controlling the frequency of sound-producing vibrations is the key to creating and playing musical instruments. In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, two cast members demonstrate how to make guitars out of boxes and rubber bands, as well as how the sounds these instruments make can be manipulated.
Grades 6-12
Charlie Christian and the Introduction of the Electric Guitar
This Soundbreaking clip highlights the importance of electric guitarist Charlie Christian's role in the history of the instrument. George Benson and Gary Giddens explain that John Hammond's role in connecting Christian with renowned band leader Benny Goodman changed the way band leaders thought of the guitar, as its role went from a strumming background instrument to a lead/solo instrument.
(Accompanying Lesson Plan):
How Electricity Helped Bring the Guitar to the Forefront of Popular Music
Little Women on Masterpiece Part 3
Friday, May 22 at 4 PM
The March family fears the worst when Mr. March falls ill. As circumstances change for Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, the family must come together to face their most difficult challenge yet.
Grades 6-9
An Iconic Character: Little Women
Experience one of the most dramatic scenes in Little Women, the beloved American classic by Louisa May Alcott, in this video excerpt from Little Women | MASTERPIECE. When the March girls receive word that their father, a Union army chaplain in the Civil War, is gravely ill, they pitch in to help their mother travel to Washington, DC to care for him. Jo decides to sacrifice her "one beauty" and sells her long hair to fund her mother's trip, revealing both her strength of character, her love of her family, as well as her impetuous and unconventional nature.
Training Opportunity for Teachers
At PBS, we are gathering FREE resources on PBS Learning Media to help the learning continue at home. You can choose from videos, interactive games, activities and TEKS-aligned lesson plans to teach your child from home. You can also use it with the Remind app, Google classroom, and you can even create folders for your own reference and to share with your students, colleagues, and families! To help navigate PBS Learning Media and this transition to digital learning, KLRN will be holding 1-hour online training sessions. Check our Event Page for a list of upcoming trainings!